AFC storylines

Every AFC team’s overlooked training camp story line

There’s more to training camp than Johnny Manziel and other quarterback battles. Check out the NFC story lines here. Several of the biggest story lines have already emerged, but here are the trends that deserve more attention:

AFC East

(Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports)

Buffalo Bills – Injuries are already taking their toll in Buffalo, and it’s unclear how many hits the Bills can take. Kiko Alonso’s loss for the year was a serious blow. Left tackle Cordy Glenn is expected to return by the regular season, the Buffalo Newsreports, and the Bills will need him healthy for the full season. Rookie Seantrel Henderson is Glenn’s backup, and he’s not nearly ready to protect E.J. Manuel’s blind side.

(Michael C. Johnson-USA TODAY Sports)

New York Jets - Assume Eric Decker can live up to his No. 1 wide receiver billing. Can Jace Amaro get up to speed in time to be the Jets’ No. 2 option? Stephen Hill and Jeremy Kerley haven’t been up to the task. At Texas Tech, Amaro showed he can be a savvy receiver, albeit an imperfect blocker. But if he can be a reliable threat for Geno Smith or Michael Vick, his rookie campaign will be a success.

(Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports)

Miami Dolphins – Last year’s volatile offensive line has been wiped clean, and five new starters arrive (center Mike Pouncey is expected to miss 4-to-8 games after hip surgery). An early report from ESPN indicates the group has struggled, and it should take the unit some time to gel. Still, the pieces are in place to improve upon last year’s effort.

(AP Photo/Elise Amendola)

New England Patriots – Can Kenbrell Thompkins translate camp performance to regular season? Thompkins was the buzz of training camp as a rookie, but he had a largely forgettable first year (beyond a freakout-inducing touchdown catch). The wide receiver is once again impressing in training camp, but he’ll have to produce in games to surge up the depth chart.

Oakland Raiders – General manager Reggie McKenzie and coach Dennis Allen are hoping that Donald Penn’s turbulent year with the Buccaneers was an aberration. If he can’t keep edge rushers from Matt Schaub, the Raiders’ offense will unravel. And letting up-and-coming left tackle Jared Veldheer escape in free agency will look like an even worse move.

(Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports)

San Diego Chargers – Will the wide receivers be more involved in the offense? San Diego threw the ball to its receivers on just 47.1% of its attempts, the third lowest of any team in 2013, according to Football Perspective. Antonio Gates, Ladarius Green and the running back rotation will remain integral to the passing game, but an established Keenan Allen and a healthy Malcom Floyd give the Bolts the outside threats they lacked for much of last year.

(John Rieger-USA TODAY Sports)

Kansas City Chiefs – It’s time for Eric Fisher to earn his keep as the 2013 no. 1 pick. Fisher moves over to left tackle to take over for the departed Branden Albert. Fisher must bounce back quickly from should surgery, as the offensive line is replacing two other starters in Jon Asamoah and Geoff Schwartz.

(Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports)

Denver Broncos – The Broncos addressed almost all of their defensive holes in the offseason – except for middle linebacker. Nate Irving grabs the starting job essentially by default, and he’ll have to play better than he has in three disappointing seasons. But if he can hold his own next to Von Miller and Danny Trevathan, it should be enough.

Cleveland Browns – The winner of the Brian Hoyer/Johnny Manziel battle should have entered this season with two top-flight targets in wide receiver Josh Gordon and tight end Jordan Cameron. But if Gordon’s appeal of a potentially season-long suspension fails, the passing game begins to look bleak. Miles Austin is far from a No. 1 receiver, and Andrew Hawkins is limited by his size.

(Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports)

Pittsburgh Steelers – Can the Steelers curb the big plays that cursed them last season? Pittsburgh gave up an uncharacteristic 11 plays of 50 yards or more, the most in the league. Mike Mitchell should help at safety, but the team is gambling by entering the season with 34-year-old Ike Taylor and Cortez Allen as its starting cornerbacks.

(Robert Mayer – USA TODAY Sports)

Baltimore Ravens – Lardarius Webb and Jimmy Smith shoulder lots of responsibility in Baltimore’s defense thanks to its safety alignment. But if Webb’s back injury hangs around or resurfaces, the Ravens will be in trouble. Chykie Brown has not been reliable in coverage and isn’t ready for a larger role.

Houston Texans – The Texans remain in a 3-4 defense, but Romeo Crennel’s impact bears watching. The two-gap scheme could have defensive end J.J. Watt playing more conservatively than he did under Wade Phillips. But Crennel has plenty of talent to work with on a defense that boasts Watt as well as linebackers Brian Cushing and Jadeveon Clowney.

( Jim Brown-USA TODAY Sports)

Tennessee Titans – Jurrell Casey quietly had a breakout year with his 10.5-sack season from the interior defensive line. But Casey now bumps to end in new defensive coordinator Ray Horton’s 3-4 scheme. This could be a troublesome transition for some, but Casey should still get the one-on-one opportunities he thrives on.

(Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports)

Jacksonville Jaguars – Blake Bortles drew the headlines after being drafted No. 3 overall, but the rookies facing the most pressure are at receiver. Marqise Lee and Allen Robinson must give Jacksonville’s passing attack another threat other than Cecil Shorts. With Shorts sidelined by a hamstring strain, rookie receiver Allen Hurns has gotten first-team reps and could be one to watch.

(AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

Indianapolis Colts - Vick Ballard’s season-ending injury puts all the more pressure on Trent Richardson to validate the Colts’ trade for him. But it also opens a door for Ahmad Bradshaw. If Bradshaw has recovered from neck surgery, he can be a steadying presence next to the boom-or-bust Richardson.